Constantine I A.D. 335 CONSTANTI-NVS MAX AVG; rosette-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right. GLOR-IA EXERC-ITVS; Two soldiers helmeted, stg. facing one another, reversed spear in outer hands, inner hands on shields resting on the ground; between them two standards. in ex. •CONSA• RIC VII Constantinople 80 Constantine I, also known as Constantine the Great, was the first emperor to convert to Christianity. Constantine started his career by fought the Persians in the eastern provinces until he was recalled in AD 305 to join his father in Britannia. When his father died in AD 306, he became an emperor in the tetrarchy (when Rome was divided into multiple rulers). In AD313, following civil war, Constantine emerged as the emperor of all of the Roman Empire. During his rule, he separated military and civil authorities, introduced the solidus, influenced the AD 313 Edict of Milan (legalizing Christianity), founded Constantinople in AD 324 (then it was called Byzantium). Constantine was the first ruler of the Byzantine Empire. Special thanks to @Victor_Clark for helping me ID this coin so I could learn about it!
Welcome to ancient coins. I've been collecting since 1993 (1980's if one counts my first two coins), and my first coin was even grottier. I'm still not 100% sure the first one was a coin of Nero.
There is a lot more nuance to the rise of Constantine. After the death of his father Constantius in 306 (the second wife of Constantius was a daughter of Emperor Maximianus -- remember this guy...he is a major player in this drama) he was declared Emperor by his troops; in effect, making him a usurper, since he was not officially recognized. In a compromise, Constantine's first coins had the title Nobilisimus Caesar. His first coin -- Constantine I A.D. 306 28mm 9.1g CONSTANTINVS NOBILI C; laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right. GENIO POPVLI ROMANI; Genius standing left, tower on head, loins draped, r. holding patera, l. cornucopiae. RIC VI London 66; LMCC 4.04.009 Ex Rauceby Hoard by 307, Constantine was striking coins with the title Augustus. Of course since he was in charge in his territory and far from the Emperor in the East, he could do what he wished. Constantine I A.D. 307- 310 24mm 6.1g IMP CONSTANTINVS P F AVG; laureate and cuirassed bust right. PRINCIPI IVVENTVTIS; Prince standing facing head left, in military dress, holding standard in each hand. In ex. PLN RIC VI London 111; LMCC 5.04.011 Outside the territory of Constantine it was different. In Rome, Maxentius (son of Maximianus) was making a power play. He issued coins in his territory portraying himself as an Augustus with brother-in-law (in 307, Constantine married Fausta, daughter of Maximianus and sister of Maxentius) Constantine merely a Caesar. One of the mints controlled by Maxentius was Carthage. Here is Maxentius as Augustus Maxentius A.D. 307 28mm 9.6g IMP MAXENTIVS P F AVG; Laureate head right. CONSERVATOR AFRICAE SVAE; Africa standing facing, head left, in long drapery with elephant skin headdress, right holding standard, left tusk, at feet to left lion with captured bull, in right field I.; SE in left field, F in right. In ex. Γ RIC VI Carthage 57 and Constantine as Caesar Constantine I A.D. 306-307 27mm 9.4g FL VAL CONSTANTINVS NOB CAES; laureate head right. CONSERVATOR AFRICAE SVAE; Africa standing facing, head left, in long drapery with elephant skin headdress, right holding standard, left tusk, at feet to left lion with captured bull, H-ER across fields. In ex. Δ RIC VI Carthage 55 Shortly after the conference at Carnuntum in A.D. 308 and the elevation of Licinius to Augustus; a new title was seen on coinage for Maximinus and Constantine I which proclaimed that they were sons (filius) of Augusti. This was an attempt by Galerius to placate them; which failed as they both rejected the title. Constantine had already claimed the title of Augustus in A.D. 307 and Maximinus thought he deserved to be Augustus after the death of Severus. Only Eastern mints struck these types. In A.D. 310, Galerius finally recognized Constantine and Maximinus each as Augustus. Constantine I A.D. 309-310 Ӕ follis 23mm 6.7g FL VAL CONSTANTINVS FIL AVG; laureate head right. GENIO CAESARIS; Genius standing left, modius on head, naked except for chlamys over left shoulder, holding patera from which liquid flows & cornucopiae; K in left, A over P in right. In ex. ALE RIC VI Alexandria 99b By A.D. 312, Constantine defeated Maxentius and took control of the West Constantine I A.D. 312- 313 21mm 4.7g IMP C CONSTANTINVS P F AVG; laureate and cuirassed bust right. HERCVLI VICTORI; Hercules standing right, leaning on club and holding Victory on globe and lion’s skin. In ex. R S RIC VI Rome 299 In 316, tensions between the brother in laws (Licinius was married to the half sister of Constantine) Constantine and Licinius boiled over and Constantine issued a series of coins in Rome with a captive on the reverse that must have symbolized Licinius. After the defeat of Licinius, Constantine gained more territory. Constantine I A.D. 316- 317 18mm 2.9g IMP CONSTANTINVS P F AVG; laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right. SOLI INVICTO COMITI; Sol rad., stg. L., raising r. hand, globe in l., chlamys over l. shoulder, bare- headed captive to left. in ex. RS RIC VII Rome 55 Constantine became sole ruler after he defeated Licinius in A.D. 324 and his new city of Constantinople struck a series of commemorative coinage. “Four entirely new types were created for Constantine, GLORIA EXERCITVS, GLORIA ROMANORVM, LIBERTAS PVBLICA, and SPES PVBLIC…Here the reverses record a summing up of the Civil War II, the glory of the army constituting the glory of the Empire, the death of the tyrant (SPES PVBLIC) granting liberty for all.” RIC VII pg 567. this is a very brief gloss as entire books have been written about Constantine; but hopefully demonstrates a bit of the complexity of the time. to demonstrate the ever changing dynamics, below is a list of Tetrarchy as they appeared at the mint of Carthage A.D. 296- 305 Augustii-- Diocletian, Maximianus Caesars-- Constantius I, Galerius A.D. May 305- July 306 Augusti-- Constantius I, Galerius Caesars-- Severus, Maximinus II Seniors-- Diocletian, Maximianus A.D. July 306- Nov 306 Augusti-- Galerius, Severus Caesars-- Maximinus II, Constantine I Seniors-- Diocletian, Maximianus A.D. Nov 306- mid 307 Augusti-- Maximianus, Maxentius Caesars-- Maxentius, Maximinus II, Constantine I https://constantinethegreatcoins.com/Carthage/
